Jaguares too strong for error-ridden Stormers

Cape Town - The Jaguares were too strong for the Stormers in Buenos Aires on Saturday, securing a 30-25 win to continue their push towards the Super Rugby playoffs.

The Stormers found themselves 10-0 down in no time thanks to a try from Pablo Matera in the third minute and then a penalty from flyhalf Domingo Miotti soon afterwards.

The visitors, though, hit back with three successive penalties from flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis to make it 10-9 before a second Miotti penalty gave the Jaguares a 13-9 lead at half-time.

Du Plessis made it 13-12 with his fourth of the night after the restart, but the Jaguares stretched their lead significantly with a try from Ramiro Moyano on 50 minutes and when Miotti converted, it was 20-12.

Du Plessis was then withdrawn from the action as Damian Willemse stepped in at flyhalf in the hope of sparking a comeback.

The 20-year-old knocked over a penalty just before the hour mark to make it 20-15, and the match was poised for an intriguing finish going into the last 20 minutes.

Willemse and Miotti then exchanged another penalty each to make it 23-18.

The killer blow for the Stormers came in the 71st minute when outside centre JJ Engelbrecht was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock down when the Jaguares looked certain to score.

A penalty try was awarded, and the Stormers looked out of the contest with the scoreboard reading 30-18.

A late Seabelo Senatla try and a Willemse conversion gave the Stormers a sniff and they did finish strongest, but in the end they had left themselves with too much to do.

The Stormers have now won five of their 11 matches in 2019 and stay second bottom of the South African conference.